







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| I guess you need to change your cooking plan now! | |
| Pogo still hates coming to the vet, though! | |
| I mostly cook meat, fish and chicken dishes. | |
| Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | |
| No, I don't have one! | |
| So it's definitely not a divorce situation. | |
| Okay, maybe it's better for you to have some rest. | |
| No worries, everybody uses my stuff all the time. | |
| As far as I know, Chows are not good with other animals. | |
| Do we have any paper towels? | |
| What's wrong with him? | |
| Yes, they are all around 2 pounds. | |
| Alright, I think I know who he is... | |
| What is it about? | |
| The place I am having the meeting is very close to Brighton Pier. | |
| Yes, I'm here waiting for good news. | |
| That's not nice, Mike! | |
| Hello, I'm sorry, but there is no chardonnay left, Cate. | |
| They're there, under the duvet. | |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | |